At last, NCC issues 2.3GHz licence to Mobitel

By Emeka Aginam
The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Tuesday, said it has issued licence to Mobitel Limited, for the utilisation of frequencies in the 2.3 GHz Spectrum Band, having emerged successful at the licensing bid concluded by the commission last May 8, by paying the specified fees of N1.368 billion.

This is in compliance with the judgment of an Abuja Federal High Court, presided over by Justice M.G. Umar, last Thursday, ordering the commission to allocate to the company, frequency slot in the 2.3 GHz band forthwith.

While delivering the judgment in an application brought before it by the company, the Judge made an order of mandatory injunction compelling the NCC to allocate a slot in the 2.3 GHz band spectrum to the company, having satisfied all the requirements for the allocation.

The court, while upholding the licensing process declared: â€œthe auction of the National Frequencies in the 2.3 GHz band conducted by the commission in which the company was a successful bidder is, and was within the exclusive power and competence of the commission.â€

The company has been issued with a licence for 20 MHz slots in the 2.3GHz frequency band to commence immediate operations as prescribed in the conditions contained in the Information Memorandum issued for the licensing process.

However, the commission urged the firm to put machinery in motion to ensure quick deployment of high quality networks that will guarantee good quality and affordable broadband services to subscribers nationwide.

The Nigerian Communications Commission is the independent National Regulatory Authority for the telecommunications industry in Nigeria.